The 20 Best Foods to Eat to Keep You Thriving While Indoors

Posted by Lisa Hannam on April 22, 2020

Staying in can feel like a recharge. But it can also feel draining, exhausting and downright bleak. If you’re feeling more lethargic than indulgent, you may want to consider what you’re eating. You could be missing out on some key nutrients or your metabolism could slow down. Either way, these 20 foods will help you feel normal indoors.

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Vitamin D deficiency

Lack of outdoors, whether you’re self-isolating or just in a routine rut, can put you at risk for lack of vitamin D, or even a deficiency. The “sunshine vitamin” has been shown to lower the risk for certain cancers, dementia, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, and more.

Trout is packed with vitamin D (so are fish oil supplements, too). Just three ounces of trough offers 726 IU of vitamin D, which is 132% of the daily value.

Stock up on vitamin D

Tofu is another source of vitamin D. Add 100 grams to your stir-fry, salad, or wrap, and you’ll add 157 IU of vitamin D (40% of the daily value. Other sources include milk, fortified juices and cereals.

Need a caffeine fix?

Feeling like you need a boost of energy? You just might need a healthy dose of caffeine. The stimulant that intercepts fatigue messages to the brain. So it’s like nutritional math: You minus the tired feeling and you get energy. Limit caffeine intake, though, and make sure you don’t have it in the evening, as to not disturb your sleep.

Consider a cup of coffee, decaf coffee or tea for your caffeine kick. A coffee offers 95 mg of caffeine, and tea offers 50 mg. Decaf has less caffeine, but it’s still there — 2 mg.

Surprising sources of caffeine

Dark chocolate is often touted as a healthy-ish food, as it’s loaded with antioxidants. But it’s also got a hit of caffeine – 24 mg per square. Other caffeinated treats: coffee and chocolate flavoured ice cream, non-cola pops and protein bars.

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Serotonin — the “happy hormone”

Feel like you might be low on the “happiness hormone?” Then consider foods that will naturally boost serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical in the body, but it can be increased with the amino acid tryptophan. It’s also known to relax you, and many blame it for that Thanksgiving Day nap.

Three ounces of chicken breast offers 343 mg, which is 123% of the recommended daily intake.

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Eat for serotonin

Red kidney beans are a plant-based source of tryptophan, which can help increase serotonin levels. Make the bean the base of your meal with one cup, and you’ll get 300 mg of tryptophan. But if nuts and seeds, soy foods, and oats are more your thing, know that you’re still getting lots of tryptophan.

Sources of iron

Treat yourself with a steak dinner. A six-ounce beef skirt steak will give you 9 mg of iron, and that is 52% of the daily value. You have other options for iron, including shellfish, spinach, legumes, pumpkin seeds and more.

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Boost your metabolism with vitamin B12

If you’re one of those people who snacks on carbs mindlessly when you’re at home or stuck indoors, then you might want to consider boosting your intake of vitamin B12. This B vitamin helps with the metabolization of carbohydrates.

Two ounces of smoked salmon gets you 5.1 mcg of vitamin B12, and that’s 168% of the daily value.

Foods with vitamin B12

Sardines are a heavy-hitting dose of vitamin B12. One tin offers 8 mcg of vitamin B12, which gives you a whopping 137% of the value. Need more options? Consider clams, beef, milk and eggs, or any fermented foods, like tempeh.

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Vitamin A for skin

Skin feeling dry or dull from indoor heating or air conditioning? You can always use a mask, whether it’s high-end or from the drug store. But you can also improve skin from within with vitamin A.

Break out the juicer! A cup of carrot juice has an impressive 45,133 IU of vitamin A — 903% of the daily value.

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Foods highest in vitamin A

Consider a baked sweet potato for a side dish, or even a snack — you are at home after all. A medium-sized baked sweet potato has 21907 IU of vitamin A, 438% of the daily value. Other foods that are super high in vitamin A include liver, all kinds of fish and goat cheese.

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Complex carbs are the good carbs

It might be time to interject some complex carbs into your day. Complex carbs, unlike simple carbs, are often called “good” carbs because they won’t give you that sugar — or the crash after. Instead they offer a slower rise in blood sugar. Just go for a carb food that has fibre, which is what makes it a healthy carb, as well as avoids the ups-and-downs that sugars can bring.

Why not try a half-cup of split peas on your plate. That will give you 25 g of dietary fibre — 100% of the daily value.

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The best complex carbs

A handful of almonds are a good complex carb snack, too. One ounce has 3 g of fibre — 13% of the daily value. Much better than a sugar snack. Other good sources: Quinoa, breakfast cereal, and whole foods fruits and veggies.

Stevia as a sugar substitute

By moving less when you’re indoors — no walking at lunch, running up the stairs to your office, and so on – you’re burning less calories. You can consume less calories, but if you’re wanting a sweet treat, consider a sugar substitute, like stevia.

Stevia is a sweetener that is added to packaged foods and drinks, but you can also cook with it yourself. One teaspoon of stevia is equal to one tablespoon of sugar.

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Using dates in recipes

You thought we were going to talk about other chemical sweeteners didn’t you. But actually medjool dates are a great substitute for sugar, when it’s called for as a binder, like in for caramel or cookies. True that dates are sweetened naturally with its own sugars, but dates have something that sugar doesn’t: fibre. So you your body burns it differently. However much your recipe calls for, use the same amount of puréed dates.

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Eat slower for less calories

You may have heard that it takes the body 20 minutes to recognize if you’re full, so many nutrition experts recommend slowing down your mealtime or opting for foods that help you focus on chewing eat bite. This will help you from overeating when you’re indoors for days at a time. Not only will you eat less calories, but you will enjoy eating more by savouring every bite.

Hot foods — temperature “hot” and flavour “hot” — are one way to do that, as you won’t scoff down in seconds. Consider a spicy chili or soup!

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Slow eating foods

Sloppy foods aren’t just slow eating foods, they are also loads of fun. Think of healthy foods that you eat with your hands. Grab yourself a big slice of watermelon, nosh on corn on the cob. Or make fried messy foods healthier by considering their plant-based alternatives, like veggie sloppy Joe’s or vegan tacos.

Magnesium to relax

Magnesium is a nutrient that helps to not only relax you, but your muscles, too! It has been recommended for those with muscle pain or sleep issues. Consider this magnesium-rich food in the eventing.

A cup of cooked spinach gives you 157 mg of magnesium, which is 39% of the daily value.

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Magnesium in comfort foods

There’s a reason that magnesium foods are called comfort foods. They’re relaxing and they’re so soothing to eat. Mashed potatoes are a good source of magnesium, with one cup give you 196 mg, which is almost half of the daily value. Other sources include beans, brown rice, avocado, and yogurt.